Ran slowly opens her eyes seeing the hazy orange glow of candles around her. She blinks, trying to get them to focus faster as she feels the rope chafe her wrists. She was tied up. Ran tries to straighten her back feeling something strapped to her. A male's groan moments later let her know enough about the person who was apparently in as much trouble as she was. But why trouble? She couldn't remember anything about what had just happened. The doors open and several people stride in as the twins wince. "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now. The conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you two." Ran says nothing as she peers into the woman's questioning eyes, noting the fresh scar upon her cheek and the braid running through her cropped hair. Best to say nothing. She withdraws a breath and closes her eyes in horror as the man behind her speaks.
"You think we're responsible?" The woman goes round to him and grabs his right arm. Fiachna eyes the glowing orb in wonder.
"Explain this."
"I…can't."
"What do you mean you can't?!"
"I don't know what that is or how it got there."
"You're lying!" The woman lunges at him and peers into his glowing green eyes. Fiachna's eyes narrow, daring her to attack. The other woman, the one in purple, pulls the attacker back.
"We need them, Cassandra!" Cassandra huffs and both women look back at the elves tied together in the middle of the floor. Ran looks down, wincing as her left hand crackles in green light. What is this? Fiachna sighs.
"So what happens now?" He asks and Ran glances back at him.
"Do you remember what happened? How this began?" The purple woman asks and Ran shakes her head solemly.
"I remember running." Fiachna responds and Ran glances back at him as much as she could. "Things were chasing us and then… a woman."
"A woman?"
"She… reached out to us, but then…" Cassandra sighs.
"Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take them to the rift." The purple woman walks out and Cassandra moves to the elves and cuts the ties that bound them back to back.
"What did happen?" Ran finally asks, softly. Cassandra looks into her eyes, noting the strange mix of glowing green and blue as she pulls her to her feet first.
"It… will be easier to show you." She leads the Lavellan twins outside and Ran's jaw slowly drops at the sight of a massive green tear in the sky. She looks to her brother and sees his once black vallaslin and blue eyes now glowed an ominous green that matched the tear. "We call it 'The Breach'," Cassandra explains. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It's not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave."
"An explosion can do that?" Fiachna asks and Cassandra moves towards them.
"This one can. Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world." She glances back at the breach as it bursts with more energy, growing larger. Both twins find themselves on their knees in agony as their hands crackle and spurn. Cassandra kneels beside them. "Each time the breach expands, your mark spreads and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time." Fiachna glares at her irritatedly.
"So we don't really have a choice about this." Ran elbows him in the ribs as hard as she can. Fiachna grunts and glares at her. Cassandra shakes her head.
"None of us has a choice."
"We'll do what we can to help." Ran states and Cassandra smiles at her, nodding as she pulls Ran to her feet, letting the male clamber up on his own. She leads the pair through the village past many onlookers who scourn at them disdainfully.
"They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our most Holy, Divine Justinia, Head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between Mages and Templars. She brought their leaders together. Now they are dead. We lash out like the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves, as she did, until the breach is sealed." They exit through giant wooden doors and Cassandra cuts the ropes around their wrists. "There will be a trial. I can promise no more. Come. It is not far."
"Where are you taking us?" Fiachna asks.
"Your marks must be tested on something smaller than the Breach." The wind blows and Ran blinks as wisps of white are blown in front of her eyes. She catches her bangs and her eyes widen. Fiachna eyes her and smirks.
"You look more like our Grandmother, Ran, and less like my twin." She elbows him in the ribs again and he scowls. She strides forward to catch up with Cassandra as he grudgingly trails behind them, surveying the area. There had to be a way to escape.